Hunters often have a hearty stew in camp that can be reheated and used for several meals. Stew is one that many consider to be comfort food. Stew meat usually consists of neck, hock, flank, or even cubed center, or eye of round roasts. The cuts that don’t make it as steak often turn into stew.

Over the years, stew has been made with the broth from stewing meat, beer, red wine, or other liquids, but one that has been overlooked is leftover coffee. Coffee has a complex flavor from roasting the beans, which translates into a dark, rich gravy in the stew. Coffee is acidic by nature and helps break down meat into tender morsels. Try your favorite brew in your next stew. 

Ingredients

• 2 lbs.               venison stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tsp                salt
• ½ tsp               black pepper
• 1 cup               all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp.             oil
• 4 cups             brewed coffee (leftover coffee works great)
• 3 cups             carrots, sliced
• 1 large             yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cups             potatoes, cut the same size as meat pieces
• 2 cups             celery, sliced
• 3 Tbsp.            chopped parsley
• 2 Tbsp.            Worcestershire Sauce

Directions

• In a zipper bag, combine flour, salt, and pepper, add the meat cubes, and shake until each cube is coated — heat oil in a Camp Chef Dutch oven and brown meat over medium-high heat. 
• Stir the remaining ingredients into the browned meat, put the lid on and bring the stew to a slow boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 90 minutes covered with the lid. Stir occasionally.
• Tip: Coating the stew meat in seasoned flour adds flavor during the browning process, and acts as a thickening agent for the stew’s gravy that is developed during the simmering stage.